Every politician is committed to something; some issue, some cause, some ideology. For Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker that cause is to reduce government under the guise of freezing taxes. Unfortunately mass transit isn’t one of his priorities and the once award winning system is going to the dogs. Things will only get worse before they get better.
Under Walker, fares have increased despite increasing revenues for transit that came for Governor Jim Doyle. Walker used those funds for his other priorities but also cut service.

The problem is clear for anyone who understands how a good mass transit system can thrive. Buses must run on time and be frequent enough so that people do not wait for long periods before a connecting bus comes to take them to their destination. If that does not happen, people will look to other forms of transportation to meet their needs.

If the cost rises too much, people look to other methods to meet the same needs. This is the case with the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). MPS officials have now said that if bus fares increase, MPS will be forced to look at more cost effective ways to meet their need of transporting students to schools. Now, MPS spends over $6 million which MTS (Milwaukee Transit Services, the company that runs the bus system for the county) uses to keep the buses running. MPS argues that they have a responsibility to keep their costs low also otherwise they would have to raise taxes and in a sense, subsidize the County bus system with city dollars. That’s not going to happen according to MPS Superintendent William Andrekopoulos.

According to MPS Budget Analyst Gretchen Schuldt, they’re already switching some students over to a private bus system next year because the county fares are too high to make them competative.
When the full $6 million from dries up, where will Walker go to fill that hole? There’s only one place that fits his ideology — bus fares. He will do what he has done year after year of his reign and that is cut services and raise fares.

The question is, what price will consumers say enough is enough and pay a little bit more for the convenience of a private shuttle service similar to Airport Connection or even a taxi cab?

It’s like a reverse limbo competition where Walker is testing the waters to just see how high bus riders will be willing to go.

The problem is that once MPS leaves and the remaining bus riders have to pick up the tab, will many of them bolt also, giving Walker one alternative — raise fares more and cut service more.

How far can you cut?

How many lines can you savage before people just aren’t willing to walk that far to the next bus stop?

These are the questions have hang over the County bus system and with a County Executive who has the Mary Antoinette approach (let them eat cake) to the poor, how will businesses who rely on low wage workers continue to keep their doors open?

When will business leaders like Tim Sheehy from the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce wise up and condemn Walker for making moves that will decimate the business community and commerce in general in our community? When will those same business leaders take off their partisan blinders and reject Walker’s approach to devastating the transportation infrastructure of our community?

If Walker is successful in decimating bus service in our community through one more budget cycle, it may just be the straw that breaks the transportation camels back. Let’s hope the County Board shows some cohones and rejects Walker’s proposals.

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JSOnline: County, MPS in bus spat: Superintendent says budget may force district out